Lockheed Martin, Rheinmetall to jointly produce ATACMS missiles in Germany

ANKARA, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. defence company Lockheed Martin and Germany's Rheinmetall signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to jointly produce ATACMS missiles in Germany, a move that would mark the first manufacture of the short-range ballistic missile outside the United States.

In a joint statement, the companies said the agreement, backed by the U.S. and German governments, was a step toward establishing a joint venture to create a European hub for the manufacture, integration and distribution of ATACMS missiles for NATO members and allied countries.

The guided missiles will be made at Rheinmetall's artillery plant in Unterluess, northern Germany, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said.

The memorandum, signed at a NATO Industry Forum on the sidelines of the alliance's summit in Ankara, reflects efforts by the United States and its European allies to expand defence industrial capacity and replenish weapons stockpiles strained by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold, writing by Emanuele Berro, editing by Miranda Murray)